ng instructions on a matter so delicate as that
"involving the rights and duties of sovereign and subject." He then
declared that there was in England a strong desire for peace and for
ending a contest in which the "two countries could only tease and weaken
each other without any practical result," and at a time when England
desired to carry her resources into the "more important field of
European contest." He then gave Castlereagh's assurance, that the
cartel-ship, the Neptune, should be respected, and expressed his own
personal hope that he should ere long be gratified by seeing it bring,
with the commissioners, the hope of peace to the shores of England.

Meanwhile Mr. Gallatin was engaged in explaining the American case to
Romanzoff by conversation and by a written statement of the facts in
the form of an unofficial note to the emperor. On August 10 word was
received from the Emperor Alexander authorizing the renewal of the offer
of mediation; and shortly after a letter from General Moreau, written to
Mr. Gallatin from the imperial headquarters at Hrushova, assured him of
his sympathy and assistance. His relations with Gallatin were of long
standing and of an intimate nature. Moreau, after a long residence in
America, to which he was warmly attached, had lately crossed the ocean
and tendered his able sword to the coalition against Bonaparte. He
informed Gallatin that one of the British ministers had said to him in
Germany that England would not treat of her maritime rights under any
mediation. He feared that American vanity would hardly consent to treat
directly with Great Britain, and foresaw that the political adversaries
of Madison and Gallatin would blame the precipitation of the United
States government in sending over the envoys before the adhesion of
England to the proposed arbitration was secured. He assured Gallatin of
the interest of the Emperor Alexander in the Americans.

On August 24 Count Romanzoff read to the envoys his dispatch to Count
Lieven, the Russian minister at London, renewing the offer of mediation.
The commissioners considering their authority as limited to treating
under the mediation of Russia, Mr. Gallatin wrote to Monroe, inclosing
a copy of Baring's letter, which he looked upon as an informal
communication of the views of the British government, and asked for
contingent powers and instructions. These they could not expect to
receive before February. Gallatin replied to Mr. Baring that